Blind voters face obstacles

JAKARTA (JP): How will blind people vote in the June 7 elections? Will they have to pick out one of the 48 parties, whose symbols will be printed on a flat piece of paper, without accompanying braille characters?

"The General Election Commission (KPU) must decide on how the blind will vote," lawyer and coordinator of the University Network for Free and Fair Elections Todung Mulya Lubis said on Friday.

Responding to the concern, National Election Committee (PPI) chairman Jacob Tobing said special treatment for the handicapped would be provided.

"Subdistrict elections committee's offices, in cooperation with local administrations, will help the handicapped register for voting.

"On elections day, the handicapped -- especially the blind -- will be accompanied by individuals that they trust to cast their vote," he said.

Jacob said that given the limited time available, it would be impossible for the commission to print special ballot papers for the handicapped.

Andreas Basuki, a 42-year-old blind masseur living in Kedoya subdistrict, West Jakarta, said on Friday he was not aware of the latest developments.

In the past, "a special aluminum tool, like the one that the blind use to write braille," was available, he told The Jakarta Post. The implement was provided by local ballot committees, he said.

"I could vote in front of three witnesses from the three contesting political parties then. Now, I don't know. (There are) so many parties."

Out of some 130 million people eligible to vote in the upcoming June 7 general election, 1997 data reveals that an estimated 2.5 million are blind.

Their voting power could be worth at least six legislature seats. (rms/aan)